Pontoon-provided skiff



Dec. 31, 1963 PAYNE 3,115,860

PONTOON-PROVIDED SKIFF Filed July 2, 1962 J6 INVENTOR.

EU6E/VE 1. PA Y/VE Anne/wry I United States Patent O Eugene L.

Filed 3 Claims.

This invention relates to a skiff construction in which pontoons areprovided to cause the same to plane over the water whether under its ownpower or when being towed.

An object of the invention is to provide a ski construction for smallboats, such as dinghies, rowboats and other such craft, that renders thesame faster-moving over the water when motor-driven and when towed, andaffording increased pleasure and utility to the user.

Another object of the invention is to provide pontoons for small boatsthat may be applied as attachments, thereby enabling the provision of apontoon-provided skiff that may be transported in or on automobiles inknockdown form and is adapted to be readily assembled at the site ofuse.

This invention also has for its objects to provide such means that arepositive in operation, convenient in use, easily installed in a workingposition and easily disconnected therefrom, economical of manufacture,relatively simple, and of general superiority and serviceability.

The invention also comp-rises novel details of construction and novelcombinations and arrangements of parts, which will more fully appear inthe course of the following description and which is based on theaccompanying drawing. However, said drawing merely shows, and thefollowing description merely describes, preferred embodiments of thepresent invention, which are given by way of illustration or exampleonly.

In the drawing, like reference characters designate similarly parts inthe several views.

FIG. 1 is a plan view showing a pontoon-provided skiff according to thepresent invention.

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view thereof.

FIG. 3 is a view as seen from the stern of the skiff.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged and fragmentary sectional view as taken on theline 4-4 of FIG. 1.

\FIG. 5 is a similar view showing a ski-mounting m'odification.

:T he skiff that is shown in the drawing is intended as typical oflightweight craft of the rowboat and dinghy type. In the usual way, saidskiff has sides 11 that are ordinarily reinforced by rails 12 along thegunwales and by chines 13 where the sides join the skiff bottom 14. Therails and chines may be provided in other ways, as in metal, plastic orlFiberglas skiffs or boats. In any case, the same constitutereinforcements to which the pontoons 15. may be secured as will behereinafter explained.

According to the invention, two pontoons 15, of righthand and left-handdesign, are secured to the two skiff sides 11 in such relation to theskiff that such increased buoyancy is imparted to the skiff as to causethe same to be raised partly out of the water due to planing action ofthe pontoons during rapid movement of the skiff.

Each pontoon 15 comprises, generally, a float 16, and at least twobrackets 17 connected to longitudinally spaced portions of the float 16and adapted to be fixedly, yet removably, connected to a side 11 of theskiff according to its rightand left-hand design.

Each float 16 comprises an elongated, preferably square-sectionedflotation member 18 as long as or longer than the skiff and formed tohave an upcurved forward end 19. The same is advantageously made of apolystyrene foam material or similar light and buoyant expanded plasticmaterial and covered with a suitable coat of epoxy Plastalloy paint tostrengthen and protect the 3,115,860 Patented Dec. 31, 1963 foammaterial and render the same non-hygroscopic. The member 18 is highlybuoyant due to the cellular form of the plastic used, the example thatis given merely being typical of such plastic foam materials.

Each float further includes a ski 20 that lines the under surface of theflotation member 18 and part of the curved end 19 of said member. Wood,metal or rigid plastic may be used for the skis and the latter may beprovided with one or more longitudinal stiffener ribs 21 that, as shown,may be embedded in the lower portion of the member 18. Longitudinallyspaced bolts 22 connect the skis 20' to the flotation members 18.

Each bracket 17 of each float 16 may comprise a metal casting or astructural assembly of strip plate or steel to have a mounting member23, a carrier member 24, and a brace 25 rigidly connecting the members23 and 24.

The mounting member 23 may be connected by bolts 26 to the skiff 10 tolie against the sides thereof, or a rod or cable 27 (FIG. 5) may be usedto tie the lower end of said member 23 to the keel of the skiff or tothe member 23 on the opposite side. FIG. 4 shows how the rails 12 andchines 13 are utilzed to provide strength for the mount.

The bolts 22 pass through the carrier members 24 and, therefore, serveto firmly connect the members 18 and 20 to their respective brackets 17.

The pontoons 15 are light in weight and may remain secured to the skiffduring transport, if space is available in the transport vehicle. Whenso secured, the pontoons impose but little force on the skiff sides tobow or flex the same. It is a simple matter, however, to transport theskiff and p'ontoons in separated condition for more compact stowage,since the pontoons may be stowed partly within the skiff. Assembly issimply effected, as can be seen.

The floats 16 may be advantageously made of an expanding type ofpoly-urethane foam, preferably covered with Fiberglas and resin. TheFiberglas of this modification produces a surface hard enough to enableelimination of the skis 20. Other lightweight materials, such aslightweight wood, balsa, for instance, may be used instead of the foam.Regardless how constructed, the present pontoon-provided skiff sailsvery well without a centerboard, since the pontoons resist sidewarddrift.

Made of a suitably smaller size, the present pontoons, without themounting means 17, may be used as water skis to give the user thefeeling of skiing on stilts.

While the foregoing has illustrated and described what is nowcontemplated to be the best mode of carrying out the invention, theconstruction-s are, of course, subject to modification without departingfrom the spirit and scope of the invention. Therefore, it is not desiredto restrict the invention to the particular forms of constructionillustrated and described, but to cover all modifications that may fallwithin the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described this invention, what is claimed and desired to besecured by Letters Patent is:

1. A pontoon unit for light skiffs and adapted to be secured to a sideof a skiff, said pontoon unit comprising:

(a) a ski formed of rigid material and having a flat bottom under faceand provided with a longitudinal rib along its upper face,

(b) at least two longitudinally spaced bolts secured to said rib andextending upwardly therefrom,

(c) a light and buoyant rectangularly sectioned flotation memberdisposed on the upper surface of the ski and having a longitudinalgroove in which the rib is embedded,

(d) the ski and flotation member being generally cuextensivetransversely,

(e) a transverse brace secured to each bolt and disflotation membercomprises a. poly-urethane foam with a coating thereover .of Plastailoypaint.

3. A pontoon unit according to claim 2 in which the lengths of thebraces differ one from .the other according to the configuration of theskiff side; the flotation memher, thereby, having a,dispositioniparallel to the longi- 15 tudinal center of the skiff.

References Cited in the file of this patent --UNITED- STATES PATENTSAnderson May 13, Crisp May 11, Billingham Aug. 30, Bender -LJMar. 27,Fortin Apr.- 3,

Y FOREIGN PATENTS France Oct. 6; France -Mar, 7; France June 23,Netherlands Mar. 15, Great Britain Oct. :13,

1. A PONTOON UNIT FOR LIGHT SKIFFS AND ADAPTED TO BE SECURED TO A SIDEOF A SKIFF, SAID PONTOON UNIT COMPRISING: (A) A SKI FORMED OF RIGIDMATERIAL AND HAVING A FLAT BOTTOM UNDER FACE AND PROVIDED WITH ALONGITUDINAL RIB ALONG ITS UPPER FACE, (B) AT LEAST TWO LONGITUDINALLYSPACED BOLTS SECURED TO SAID RIB AND EXTENDING UPWARDLY THEREFROM, (C) ALIGHT AND BUOYANT RECTANGULARLY SECTIONED FLOTATION MEMBER DISPOSED ONTHE UPPER SURFACE OF THE SKI AND HAVING A LONGITUDINAL GROOVE IN WHICHTHE RIB IS KK EMBEDDED, (D) THE SKI AND FLOATION MEMBER BEING GENERALLYCOEXTENSIVE TRANSVERSELY, (E) A TRANSVERSE BRACE SECURED TO EACH BOLTAND DISPOSED UPON THE UPPER SURFACE OF THE FLOTATION MEMBER, EACH SAIDBRACE HAVING AN END EXTENDING BEYOND ONE SIDE OF THE FLOATATION MEMBER,AND (F) A CARRIER MEMBER SECURED TO SAID END OF EACH BRACE AND EXTENDINGPARTLY ABOVE THE TOP OF THE FLOATATION MEMBER AND PARTLY COEXTENSIVEWITH THE HEIGHT OF SAID MEMBER, SAID CARRIER MEMBERS BEING ADAPTED FORSECUREMENT OF THE SKIFF SIDE.